A Taste Of Poison
by EmbersOfAmber
Summary: While Anders continues to drag his feet over a possible relationship with Hawke, they decide to spend the day at the Wounded Coast looking for reagents. What could possibly go wrong? Anders/FemHawke


_**Sequel to Happy Hour. M-rated content.**_

* * *

The weather was surprisingly mild for early spring. There was still a small nip in the mid-morning breeze, but the bright sun promised to banish the chill along the Wounded Coast with it's warming light. Hawke breathed in the sea air appreciatively. Anders smiled, having noted how the usual tension in her shoulders seemed to melt away as they trudged along.

"It's nice to get some fresh air, isn't it? Kirkwall starts to stink after a bit."

She snorted and glanced sideways at him. "You're being overly generous- Kirkwall _always_ stinks."

"I don't know, compared to some places I've been, it's not so bad. I think Blackmarsh wins the prize for stench." He shuddered dramatically.

"I'm almost afraid to imagine there are places that smell worse than Darktown. Not even in the wet season when everything turned into a smelly mud pit, did Lothering smell even a quarter as foul."

He gave her his ironic half-smile, the one that made her breath catch and her heart do strange things. The petulant part of her was sure he was aware of his affect on her and did it on purpose, just to watch her squirm, _the prig_.

"Little girl, you have led a very sheltered life compared to me. I could tell you of experiences I've had that would curl your toes."

Anders knew how it bothered her when he called her that, and he just couldn't always resist pushing her buttons with some ill-advised flirting. It started at the personality clash that was their first meeting, when she had tried to bully him into cooperating, and he had shown he couldn't be bullied. Somehow, it had turned into his pet name for her, but he never called her that when they were with the others, only when they were alone.

She stopped walking and her eyes flashed with irritation. He chuckled inwardly, but when she turned a very sensual smile on him, he felt the sudden urge to back peddle. _That_ look could turn him into a very frustrated apostate, very quickly.

Hawke raised her hand, her palm cupped heavenward, and conjured a white cloud of energy. She blew on her hand and the cloud flew to him, grazing his cheek with what felt like a wet kiss. His eyebrows climbed in surprise. Anders had never seen her cast anything but offensive spells. This was…

_Another arousing tidbit to add to my already naughty thoughts about her._

Gliding over to him she leaned close. He tensed when she whispered in his ear, her warm breath ghosting across his neck.

"Don't dish it unless you're prepared to take it, or one day I may show you how much of a little girl I'm _**not.**_" She kissed his cheek and left it tingling.

He stood dumbstruck for a moment. This was a whole new level of boldness for Hawke. She had never gone further than playful banter in the past. He knew how to handle that, this tactic was- unfair. He adjusted his robes to accommodate a suddenly raging erection.

"Not only are you a willful _little girl _in need of a spanking, you're also a bloody cock tease to boot."

"A spanking?" She tsked at him. "Promises, promises." She looked at the bulge in his trousers with smug satisfaction as they continued walking.

"Calling me a tease is like the pot calling the kettle black, Anders. Besides, it's only a tease if you refuse to take it further. I'm quite willing, as I've intimated on several occasions, so, actually, that makes _you_ the tease, not me." He swallowed convulsively, and she couldn't resist the urge to twist the knife just a little deeper. Whether she admitted it consciously or not, his continued rejection hurt.

Anders felt his resolve to protect her from himself erode just a bit more. Honestly, how much could one man be expected to take? They had flirted for years, but lately, she seemed to be going all out in an attempt to drive him absolutely mad. He really didn't need any help with that.

_**We are not good for her. We must focus on the task before us.**_

_I know! Shut up!_

The spirit faded back to his subconscious just as Hawke began speaking again in sultry tones.

"Shall I describe all the fantasies I have of us together when I am alone and touching myself because you aren't there to do it for me?"

_Oh Maker, yes!_

"No! Please! Why are you telling me all this now? Is it Torture Anders Day?" He asked desperately. "Can we just…not talk about this anymore?"

"Suit yourself," she said nonchalantly, just managing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

She pulled a small, hand-drawn map from her pocket to check their progress. Satisfied they were on the correct path, she carefully refolded it and put it away. Another twenty minutes of silent walking passed until they arrived at their destination. They had seen neither person nor creature. It seemed a good day to visit the Coast.

"Here, this looks like the cave Tomwise described to me. He did say there were various creepy-crawlies the last time, so we should keep our eyes open."

Anders nodded, though she was no longer looking at him. He sighed and shoved all his twisting emotions to the back of his mind so he could focus on what they were meant to be doing. To think, he had been eagerly looking forward to hunting potion ingredients with her- an activity they both enjoyed, but it seemed the day was turning into a disaster.

Hawke pushed aside a crawling vine at the cave entrance. They stepped through and Anders conjured a ball of fire to illuminate their path. It had been quite a while since anyone had been in this cave. They had to hack through a number of weeds and vines with their daggers, and it was slow going for a time.

A side path snaked off from the larger main walkway, and she turned to follow it. They picked their way carefully, stopping occasionally to gather a medicinal flower, or clip wild herbs, silently absorbed in their separate thoughts. The cave was full of reagents; a potion maker's wet dream. Anders sighed when his thoughts strayed to sex _again_.

_At least I'm not remembering how beautiful her bare bottom looked the other night I removed that burr she sat on. I'm really not recalling how soft her skin was…or how she thinks of me when she gets herself off. Dammit, I really didn't need to know that. It would have been so easy to take her when she was laid across that table like an offering. That curl is falling into her eye again, I could just push it back…and smell her hair. Gah! Stop._

Completely oblivious to Anders internal conflict, Hawke stowed the latest clipping and continued down the winding path ahead.

There was sun shining through from where the wall had crumbled, and Anders banished the conjured fire. Hawke murmured in surprise and knelt down next to a thatch of green, rioting with yellow blossoms. Her hand brushed the plant reverently, rubbing a green leaf between thumb and forefinger.

"Dorrin's Bane. It's so rare, I never thought to see any again." Her voice was a mere whisper of sound, and Anders knelt next to her to examine the plant. It must be rare. He considered himself a fairly knowledgeable herbalist, and he had never even heard of it.

He leaned forward and was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. He had never seen her cry, not even when Carver was led away to an uncertain fate in the Deep Roads. That was the most torn up he had ever seen her, but she hadn't shed a single tear. Not in front of him anyway. She was always an emotional rock, deflecting with humor, as he so often did in his former days. What could this mean? His protective instincts rose unbidden.

"Kirah, what is it?" He was too concerned to notice how easily her given name slipped out, when he had only ever called her Hawke to her face in a further attempt to maintain distance.

She drew a shuddering breath and swiped a knuckle at her eyes, her gaze still focused on the buttery yellow flowers.

"Deceptively beautiful, isn't it?"

Anders brows drew together "What is, the plant?"

She turned to look at him, the tears in her eyes glittering like gems in the filtered shaft of light, and nodded.

"Do you know what this plant does?" When he shook his head she turned her gaze away, her voice growing quieter and more serious.

"Prepared correctly, it makes a very powerful poison. When drunk, death is almost instantaneous. My father.." Her voice broke and Anders reached for her hand, squeezing in support. He knew her father was an apostate, and had taught her all she knew, but she seldom spoke of him. He couldn't help but be curious.

"What about your father?" He prompted gently. She darted a glance at him and started again.

"When my father was alive, he kept a small vial on him at all times, in case the templars came…"

Her voice trailed away for a moment, and Anders felt his heart ache for her with understanding. He had known many mages that chose death over imprisonment. It was all too common. Justice echoed Anders upset over what Kirah had suffered.

"He never told the twins about it, although I'm sure Mother knew." She removed her hand from his, fingers fumbling on the closures of her robe until her upper chest was bared. She pulled on a cord that was hidden beneath, extracting a tiny glass vial holding a honey colored liquid. Hawke's fingers caressed it as though it were a treasure.

"He knew how terrified I was of being captured and made tranquil. He…Father made this one for me. He never wanted me to have to use it, but he cared enough to let me make the choice, should it ever come down to it. I miss him so." She met Anders troubled brown eyes as her own overflowed, coursing wetness down her cheeks. She bit her lip to stop the trembling.

"I was lucky to have had such love, even for a time. I know no one else will ever love me that much."

Those words defeated him as nothing else could have. Anders brought his hands to her face, thumbs brushing against her cheeks. The pain in her voice broke him completely, his heart too full at this revelation to keep silent any longer. He lifted her chin, drinking the sorrow in her blue eyes as his own. He wanted to share it, as he wanted to share everything with her.

"Someone already does. Know that I would drown us in blood to keep you safe. You are the only light in my darkness."

This made the tears flow faster, her eyes wide and vulnerable. Hawke tried to speak past the lump in her throat, but his mouth pressed against hers, scattering all thought. His kiss was gentle, a delicate sipping of lips, an exploration of each other with a slight shade of wonder.

He had known her as a friend for years, but privately, he longed to be so much more. To know her secret fears and desires, to understand the source of her courage. He wanted to be her lover- Maker, how he wanted!…the only one she gave her sighs of desire and cries of completion to. He wanted to be her anchor amidst the storms of life as she had become his. He wanted everything. All of her. He wanted to possess her completely.

_**You speak as a demon.**_

_It has a different meaning between lovers. Just trust me on this one. _

The years of resistance had always been for her sake, but he was too weak to resist any longer. He should get away from her now- run and not look back, but he couldn't. Not anymore.

_I'm a selfish bastard._

The blush on her cheeks was beautiful, and he kissed his way across them, tasting the salt of her tears on his tongue. Her voice was still thick with sorrow when she spoke, and she pushed against his chest weakly.

"Anders, are you sure about this? Maybe you should take some time to consider. I don't want you to regret-"

He pulled her against him strongly until she landed in his lap with a small cry of surprise. Seizing her head in both hands he kissed her greedily, almost punishing in his fierceness. She panted dizzily when he moved away to pin her with his eyes.

"I have never been more sure of anything, and my only regret is how much time I've already wasted. Maker, I've been so blind." He drew several breaths and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his eyes searching hers carefully, his body nearly crackling with leashed tension.

"If you don't want this Kirah, tell me now. I know I'm a selfish bastard, but I won't be able to let you go again. This is your last chance."

Hawke made a frustrated sound in her throat, her fingers digging into his arms where she held him. "You're still blind if you can't see how I feel about you. I want you more than I want my next breath, and I don't just mean carnally." Her eyes flashed with pain. "Don't you know? I _love_ you. I have done for years, you great ass!"

Anders kissed her again, unable to stop himself. His heart soared, even as he experienced a bitter regret for the pain his hesitance had obviously cost her. He vowed, then and there, to spend the rest of his days making it up to her. He would drape her, cocoon her, surround her in his love.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her lips. Over and over, like a prayer of repentance while he worshiped her with his lips. "So sorry." He feathered kisses across her eyes, moving down to her neck to press a kiss to the spot below her ear where he could breath in her scent. "I was only trying to spare you the pain any involvement with me might bring you, and I managed to hurt you anyway. You're right- I _am_ an ass."

Hawke grazed her nails against the back of his neck, pushing him more firmly against her. "Your kissing it better _does_ help." He chuckled, and bit into the muscle of her neck, sucking gently.

"Shit!"

Hawke rolled to the side, pulling him with her a second before they were covered in hot, wet goo. Anders looked up into the menacing black eyes in the shadows, while Hawke grabbed her staff and jumped to her feet at the same time he did. He paralyzed the large spider and she finished it off with an ice spell followed by lightning. The smell of ozone and charred spider permeated the air.

They looked at each other, laughing as the adrenalin rush faded, and she scraped some green muck from her robes, then swore when her hand started to burn. She tried to wipe her hand, but she was covered and her robes were soaked. Her skin was beginning to warm uncomfortably as the wetness penetrated. When Anders dumped water over her head, she sputtered indignantly, but her protest died when he poured the remainder of his canteen over himself.

"Come on, we have to hurry." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward the cave entrance. She stumbled along, the burn quickly becoming painful, and they both ran faster.

"What is it?" She panted.

"It's a kind of spider venom that eats through everything until it's washed off. Clothes, skin, everything. We have to jump into the sea, it's our only chance."

They pounded across the sand, Anders keeping a grip on her hand. He was the faster runner, and pulled her along behind. The rolling waves came closer. They ran down the last dune in their path. Releasing her, he ran forward into the frigid water, and she did the same. They both dove under the waves, seeking relief. Hawke rose from the water, gasping as her limbs turned to ice.

"Take your clothes off. You have to wash all the residue from your skin, or it will continue to burn." He was busy undoing his buckles and hooks as he spoke. "The first time I encountered this type of spider poison was near Amaranthine with the Warden Commander. She laughed herself silly when I stripped off my clothes like a maniac and jumped into a muck covered pond to stop the burning."

Hawke half listened to his explanation though she could barely feel her fingers and her teeth were chattering, but she forced each catch on her robes to open. Just her luck something like this would happen when she and Anders were finally sharing an honest moment.

"M…M…Maker's B…Breath, Anders. There a…are easier ways to g…get me n…naked."

"More enjoyable ones too, I'm sure. Still, we take what we can." He smirked and threw his robes onto the beach, then started removing his smalls.

She swore again, her own progress slowed by how hard she was shaking. Anders blood stirred when he saw her robes opening, revealing more of her than he had ever seen. Her fingers fumbled wetly against a metal hook so he swam over to her in the waist deep water, and began helping. The waves buffeted them, pushing them forward and back, but his fingers were nimble, brushing her skin as he undid the final hook.

He stripped off her robes, now heavy with water and threw them next to his own, his eyes devouring her. He reached around behind her and unclasped her bustier, tossing in to the growing pile. She reached down and removed the last of her small clothes and ducked under the water, rubbing her skin vigorously.

He stood watching for a moment, more affected by the sight than he could have imagined. He was so hard for her, he barely felt the coolness of the water. Turning toward the shore, he decided he had better find something to distract himself before he fell on her and ravished her like a wild beast. The dam had burst, and years of pent up frustration now threatened to drown them both.

By the time all the venom was gone and she was merely freezing to death, Hawke turned toward the beach. Anders was kneeling in the shallows, scrubbing their clothes, then wringing out as much water as he could before setting them aside. She hesitated a moment, admiring his nude form, then pushed away any embarrassment as girlish and silly, and strode purposefully over to him. She took their rinsed clothing and began laying it flat across the rocks to dry, not missing the fact that Anders eyes never left her, even while he continued his task. Her heart beat quicker in reaction.

The drops of water on her skin dried quickly in the gentle breeze, but when she perched on a rock and wrapped her arms around herself, she still couldn't stop shivering. Cold water continued to drip from her hair down her back.

Anders walked across the sand to her, and she cast her eyes down, inexplicably nervous now that she was his sole focus. _It's not as if this is the first time someone has seen me naked, _she thought irritably.

"Come here, love," he said gently.

She stood and he tugged her to him and wrapped his arms around her, chaffing her skin with his hands. She buried her nose against his neck, marveling at how normal he felt.

"How is it you feel so warm when I'm freezing?" He pulled her tight against him, an eager erection pushing against her belly.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked, laughter in his voice.

She smiled against his neck and pulled back enough to untrap her arms from between them. Hawke wrapped her arms around him, bringing them flush against each other, pressing her breasts against the soft hair of his bare chest and stealing a little more of his warmth for her own. Heat blossomed all around her and she looked up in surprise to see a circle of fire surrounding them in the sand.

"I suppose I could have thought of that if I hadn't been too frozen to cast."

He ran his hands lingeringly up and down her bare back, settling them on her bottom with a squeeze, making her shiver for a different reason.

"Sweetheart, as hot as looking at your beautiful body makes me, casting a fire spell is almost too easy."

She giggled and looked up at him apologetically, biting her lip.

"This isn't exactly how I imagined being naked with you the first time."

"Why don't you tell me what you envisioned, and I'll see what I can do to fix it?"

"Well," she ran her fingertips along his shoulders then threaded them into his wet hair. "there was usually a bed, or a table…or a wall."

His eyebrows rose in interest "A wall, you say?" He nuzzled her neck, his tongue coming out to taste the salt of the sea and rolling her skin between his teeth. "I always knew you had a vivid imagination."

She tilted her head back, watching the clouds drift by as desire heated her blood as surely as the flames surrounding them. He kissed and licked his way back to her face, and she met him eagerly with her lips, rubbing her tongue sensuously against his. Anders groaned and pushed a hand against her breast, rubbing his callous-covered palm against her nipple before rolling it between his fingers.

"Could I interest you in being taken on the beach instead?" His tone was smoky with just a hint of humor.

Hawke sucked on his bottom lip and tugged it with her teeth. "As romantic as that sounds, I'm afraid I'm not too fond of sand in my nethers."

Anders lifted his head and looked past her shoulder, then smiled. "I have the perfect compromise." He banished the flames and tugged her toward a low boulder, flat on one side and ideal for sitting. She laughed, seeing his possible solution.

"We could always wait until later. The estate has walls _and_ a bed."

He turned and took her head in his hands, grabbing fistfuls of her damp hair and kissing her until she was wetter than she could ever remember being. His hand moved to her sex and he stroked her, making her heart beat against his fingers.

"Do you really want to wait?" He breathed the coaxing words against her mouth, moving back enough to let her answer, and she tried to remember how to speak. He brushed against her nub, sending a jolt through her and the words burst forth.

"No! I take it back. I would even tolerate sand now just to have you inside me." His laughter was low and just a little smug.

"First things first." He dropped to his knees in the sand before her, nudging her legs further apart. He nuzzled her belly, his stubbled cheeks sending ticklish ripples over her skin. She stroked his red-gold hair back from his forehead. Without warning, he plunged his tongue into her wet center. Her mouth opened on a silent cry.

The skillful flicks and sucks made her tremble, nearly causing her knees to buckle. Anders grabbed her backside with both hands, keeping her upright and drawing her more firmly against his questing tongue. She came hard, with his name spilling from her in a loud moan. He hummed against her core, finally standing to kiss her, his mouth wet with her arousal.

"Maker, I love doing that to you, Kirah. Everything about you makes me harder than stone. I could come just from _hearing_ how you say my name when I bring you." Hawke moaned helplessly, his words spiking her desire for him impossibly higher.

"Anders, please, I _ache_." She gripped his erection, running her thumb over the wet tip, enjoying the way he jerked in her hand when she pumped up and down. He gripped her wrist, stopping her before she could undo him. She pouted her lip at him, but he shook his head, tapping a playful finger to her nose.

"Little girls must be good."

Hawke followed him with an evil smile. "I could be good on my knees, if you'll let me return the favor." His eyes flashed with heat as he stared at her mouth and licked his bottom lip in thought.

"Later."

They walked the few steps to the chosen rock and he sat and held his hand out to her. She hesitated and took a moment to burn his image into her brain, so later she could recall everything about this first time; she had waited so long for it. The way the sun turned his hair to spun gold, and the eager hunger in his eyes- for **her**. His sculpted muscles and heavy erection; he was beautiful.

"Kirah, you're killing me. I want you to make love to me with all of you, not just your eyes."

She blushed and stepped forward, coming to stand between his legs.

"I'm sorry, I just want to remember this. I was trying to fix that picture of you in my mind- eager and wanting me."

His eyes softened and he caressed her cheek with gentle fingers.

"Just when I think I can't love you anymore, you go and say something like that."

She leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, and his mouth quirked into his naughty smile.

"Now are you going to climb up here and fuck me properly, or do I have to throw you to the ground before I can have my wicked way with you?"

Hawke narrowed her eyes and straddled him, holding his smirking gaze until she sank down on him in one thrust, taking him fully into her wet heat. His jaw clenched and his lids half closed. He swore aloud when she squeezed him with her inner muscles, then started gliding up and down his length.

The rock was digging into her knees, so she took a moment to wrap her legs around him fully. Anders took control of their movement by holding her hips and guiding her in time to his thrusts. She leaned back, holding his shoulders for balance, and he leaned forward to suckle her nipple. Her inner muscles spasmed, and he groaned against her breast.

"If you keep doing that thing, you'll finish me, and I want to wait for you."

She dropped one of her hands to stroke her clit in time to his thrusts, and he moaned her name plaintively, his eyes burning her.

"I'm close," she whispered, and he thrust faster just as she hit her peak, muscles fluttering around him. Hawke opened her eyes just in time to watch him climax, his body bursting inside hers while his face was caught in beautiful agony. Their eyes locked as they rode the last of the storm together, their souls bared at last.

Hawke slumped against him, waiting for their thundering hearts to calm. Awareness of the sounds around them gradually returned; the pounding of the surf and the whistling duet of the wind and birdsong.

Anders rubbed a lazy hand across her back and stroked her hair where it fell down her back, freed from its' usual bun. He laughed quietly and she lifted her head to look at him. He smiled happily but his amber gaze was contemplative as he rubbed a thumb across her lips. She kissed it softly and tried to rise off him but he held her in place.

"No, stay. Let me hold you a little longer. I just…that was…"

She grinned widely. "Have you actually been struck speechless? Not bad for a little girl, I guess."

"I'll say. Although, if taunting you with that little nickname or using dirty talk get those kinds of results…" He raised his eyebrows expressively. "I'm just amazed because we didn't even use magic just now."

Hawke tilted her head and gave him a quizzical look. "Why would we use magic? I'm sure setting your head on fire wouldn't increase the pleasure."

His smile was wicked. "Well, that depends on which one and how hot a fire we're talking." When her mouth opened in shock he laughed, jostling her.

"What do you think of this?" He brushed her nipple with his fingers and she jumped from the pleasurable shock. "Or maybe this?" He rubbed across her pearl and electric fingers dove into her core, stimulating places she didn't know she had. She clutched him and moaned, her inner muscles fluttering anew. He hardened inside her again.

"Ah," he said with satisfaction, "I think I found a winner."

A short time later found her on her back in the sand, unaware of anything but the magical frenzy that gripped them; his thrusting strokes driving her over the edge again and again. His voice growling dirty epithets in her ear while she came undone the final time in perfect harmony with him.

He rolled to one side of her and she lay boneless and utterly drained, licking dry lips. Minutes passed while she focused on nothing but her own breath filling her lungs. She turned her head to look at Anders and caught him watching her, a soft smile on his lips. Hawke turned to her side and slithered over until she lay on his arm like a pillow. He kissed her forehead.

"It may sound strange, Kirah, but thinking back over the course of the day- we really have poison to thank for these wondrous happenings."

She cringed. "I can just hear Varric: Hawke found happiness with Anders through the curious machinations of poison." They both laughed, able to hear the dwarf's storytelling in their imaginations.

"You know the saying: one man's poison is another man's cure. I think I will always carry one good thought for toxic substances." Anders winked and Hawke felt her heart melt.

_So will I._

Hawke looked at her robes on the rocks, fluttering slightly in the breeze.

"I think our clothes are dry now. Should we head back? It's well past midday."

"Mhhh, not just yet. I still have other things in mind for you." Anders hand wandered across her hip and caressed her breast, squeezing gently. He shifted, and his hard length brushed against her. Her eyes widened.

"Andraste's ass, Anders! Again? How can you be ready so soon? I thought you were done for. At least until tonight."

He shook his head chidingly. "You underestimate me, sweetheart. I have three years of torture to pay you back for. Allow me to demonstrate the famous Grey Warden stamina."

* * *

By the time they made it back to Kirkwall, the last blush of daylight was purpling the horizon. If Hawke walked a little strangely, well, her friends were nice enough not to mention it.

Varric slid onto the bench next to her, plunking down a fresh drink. She accepted it with a radiant smile, her face practically glowing. He whistled and bumped her shoulder playfully.

"Damn Hawke, it's about time. I don't even have to ask how your day went. I just want to know one thing- was it worth all the time it took to get here?"

She tilted her head, a twinkle in her eye. "Oh, yes. You know what they say, Varric: Good things come to those who wait."


End file.
